French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed Stephane Sejourne, the country's outgoing foreign minister and a close political ally of the president, to replace Thierry Breton as its EU commissioner, Macron's office said on Monday.
Breton earlier stepped down as a member of the Commission and said he would no longer be his country's candidate for the next EU executive body.
Breton, a former business executive, was the EU's industry and internal market commissioner during her first term.
As the EU's second-biggest member state, France is vying for a major post in the new Commission team, which follows on European Parliament elections in June - the starting point every five years for a shake-up of key jobs in EU institutions that have a major impact on policymaking across the bloc.
Each EU member state will have one seat at the Commission's table, although their political weight and importance varies greatly depending on the portfolio.
